DENVER — After nearly a decade of brewing and serving craft beer, Banded Oak Brewing will close its doors this September, citing rising rents, safety concerns, and a shifting customer base along Denver's South Broadway.
"Rents on Broadway are just a little too high for a standalone brewery that doesn't really do any food," said Will Curtin, Branded Oak Brewing's owner and operator.
Denver7 has been covering issues involving South Broadway businesses for over a year. The brewery, which aimed to serve customers via food trucks, has struggled to attract enough customers as neighboring food establishments have closed.
Curtin said that the loss of nearby dining options has directly impacted the brewery's foot traffic.
“We always wanted to do food trucks and sort of switch it up. But yeah, having this Pizzeria Locale closing, Moe's BBQ closing, Subway closing, people need food,” he said.
In addition to financial strains, Curtin shared concerns about safety and vandalism by people experiencing homelessness in the area. He told Denver7 it's a tough balance between sympathy and helping his staff and customers feel safe.
“If people don't feel safe here, it's not good,” Curtin said. “You know, we have to sort of train our staff that if they don't feel safe to park a certain place, maybe don't take out the garbage that night."
The brewing landscape has changed significantly over the years, and Curtin believes that the traditional “garage brewery” model may be waning.
“I think sort of the age of a garage brewery is sort of, if not gone, going,” he said.
He now sees fewer patrons in their early 20s visiting breweries, which has further affected business.
“We definitely see an older kind of demographic of people come in. There are less early 20s, obviously, 21-plus people that come in and want to try something new and different,” Curtin said.
Denver
A pair of longtime South Broadway taprooms are closing their doors
As Banded Oak prepares to shut down, Curtin maintains a sense of optimism for the future. He and his business partner are rebranding and moving to a new brewery in Wheat Ridge, where they look to create more diverse offerings that include food and entertainment.
“So a little bit more lighter, approachable beers," he explained. "We've partnered with a restaurant called The Works. They do burgers and bowling and bikes and all that kind of stuff."
The closure of Banded Oak will leave a bittersweet mark on the community.
“The business of Banded Oak will go away in September, but I love it down here,” Curtin said. “I'll be coming down to kind of drink and eat for as long as they'll have me.”
Despite the challenges faced, Curtin appreciates a decade of memories and community support.
“We've had a really, really fun 10 years. So yeah, [we] kind of focus on the good we've had,” he said.
As he looks ahead to the future, Curtin hopes to celebrate the positive memories rather than dwell on the losses.
“There's a lot of gloom and doom, and I think when you're kind of having a beer, it's better to sort of celebrate something than kind of be down in the dumps about it," Curtin said.
Recently, a Denver City Council committee approved a public hearing for a new General Improvement District (GID) along South Broadway. The GID would focus on safety and security, enhanced cleaning, branding, marketing and programming and pedestrian, street and landscaping improvements.
The public hearing is scheduled for August 4.
